History

This Freedom 15 is a modern example of a “Bursledon Gig”

Length 15`- 6 “ (4.7 M) Beam 5`- 5” (1.65M) Draft 15” (0.38M) Weight 120Kg

Preamble by Ian DuCane Jan 2025

The following information on the history of the Bursledon has been compiled over many years by the diligent efforts of Jim Williams who has been a stalwart supporter of rowing on the river Hamble, indeed it is to him and his fellow rowers that I owe my gratitude for introducing me and my wife Audrey to the pleasures of Gig rowing some 10 years ago when we joined them for a September jaunt to the Horse and Jockey…Their “Bursledons” were full but they loaned us their “Egret”, me sculling with Audrey giving steering instructions as there was no rudder!! it was a tough row trying to keep up with the fleet, luckily I had already been a sliding seat rower for some 20 years so faired pretty well, it was a great day that triggered me into forming a rowing section at the Tudor. I immediately started to look for a second hand Bursledon and by sheer chance quickly discovered that RK Marine was disposing of one that had been used by their employees. I came to an understanding with them as to price and then tried to convince the Tudor SC executive to buy it and start a rowing section, this proved extremely difficult as I was informed that the “Tudor” was a “Sailing Club” (Old ideas die hard). In the end I purchased the boat and then set about methodically wearing down the “resistance”.. lol ….It took me several months but in the end the club purchased “Rosie” from me and since then the rowing section has boomed……”all`s well that ends well”

The Bursledon Gig – A product and fleet history. (produced by Jim Williams)

Glyn Foulkes, Tom Richardson, David Gorrod and John McColgin bought 4 grp shells in the early 90s and fitted them out as 3 thwart rowing boats in order to maintain rowing at Bursledon Regatta. These were raced with crews of 3 (RanDan), 4 and 6, usually without a cox. The shells were bought from Cygnus Marine in Penryn, Cornwall. They had made a mould (Mk1) from a 15’ 4” wooden, carvel built Falmouth oyster punt. These boats were fitted out to be only 4’ 8” wide I believe, and had fallen out of use, or into disrepair, by 2000. Over the years Cygnus may have produced 190 shells (I bought numbers 186 to 195) some of which had a centreboard and these were sold as a twin masted cat rigged sailing dinghy called a Tamarisk 16. Others became steam launches, fishing boats, Cornish rowing club training boats, etc..

In about 2004 Mike Eaton, of Seaquest Yachts, took a mould from another boat, possibly a Cygnus 15 shell, and produced a boat the called the Seaquest 16. He faired the hull to take away the evidence of the original carvel build and made the stem a bit more vertical. The Seaquest 16 had an internal moulding and buoyancy and was very heavy. Seaquest Yachts went into administration in about 2006 and the mould went to Cygnus Marine who started producing it as a MkII.

In 2005 Jim Williams had 10 MKI shells built, as part of trying to keep rowing going on the Hamble River and at Bursledon Regatta, in particular, and 6 were completed by Yachting Sports at Hamble Point Marina and 4 were completed by individuals. At this point, I think, I (Jim) conjured up the name ‘Bursledon Gigs’. Some were basic chopped strand lay up with large fore and aft buoyancy tanks and some were lightweight mat lay up, without buoyancy, these 2 were Rowsie (red and now with HRRC but heavier after repairs, and a boat now with Tudor RC (Olive) I think. All this second batch were fitted out (stretched midships) with a wider beam (by at least 4 ins) than the first batch to ease the mid rowing position.

Of this batch of 10, one went to Hamble Sea Scouts and one to Park Gate Sea Scouts, both of whom received a small grant from Bursledon Regatta. The other 8 were initially in private or local company hands. Two of these, at least, have now been acquired by Hamble Sea Scouts. Eventually the Dyke family, who used to run Hamble Sea Scouts, and have, always run the Hamble River Raid, left 2 with the Sea Scouts and have another 2 (Exocet and Black) in their ownership.

In about 2007 Cygnus Marine closed and the Mk1 mould was kept by one of the original Directors, Jon Peters, in Falmouth and may be in production again.

The MKII mould was sold to a new company, Cygnus Marine Boats, of Southwold, Norfolk, along with several moulds of large fishing vessels. The Production Manager from Cygnus, Henry Millington, moved to Southwold. In 2010 this mould returned to Cornwall, I believe, with Henry Millington and two were produced by Paul Ching of Evolution Boats, but he no longer has the mould, though he may have access to it. (This seems, now in 2019, to be lost).

In Penryn Ron Coote, of Kingfisher Marine, had acquired a mould (MkIII?) and began producing a training boat for Cornish Pilot Gig Clubs. He then produced a MKIV mould which was the same as the MkI and MKIII except that it had a horizontal flange at the top of the gunwale, which means you could do away with wooden gunwales, and there were rowlock chocks glassed in to the outside of the gunwale. It also had a thick rail on the inner hull, right the way round on which thwarts could sit. In 2011 the newly formed Hamble River Rowing Club bought 2 of these MkIVs. In the end both of these boats were produced by Trinity Boats of Mountbatten, Plymouth, who had bought Ron’s business. Trinity Boats folded in 2013. The whereabouts of mould No IV is unknown.

The MKIVs were fitted out with the thwarts further forward as there was no longer a need to have a double rowing position in the bows for Bursledon Regatta. This allowed a little more space between the thwarts and a better trim when rowed with a cox. In Cornwall, where these boats are rowed without a cox the thwarts are further aft. If you put a Cox in a Cornish rigged boat they get occasional punches in the chest from the Stroke rower.

During 2011 Netley Sea Scouts acquired 2 MKIVs, one of which is sponsored/kept by ABP. I think these are rowed with 8’ Britannia wooden oars and rowlocks.

The Hamble Harbour Master acquired a MKII shell from Henry Millington and a local women’s crew acquired another MKll or III from Paul Ching of Evolution boats. The ex-Harbour Master boat is now owned by HRRC and has been re-fitted and was launched in March 2024, re-named Jolly Lobster. It’s stroke thwart has been moved forward to the standard HRRC position, but the bow thwart is a couple of inches too far astern. The MKII has a slightly canted back transom, I believe, a less vertical stem and a deeper freeboard, which makes it look fuller midships. It remains to be seen whether the waterline length of the MKI, MKII, MKIII, MK1V and MKV are all the same, for handicapping reasons.

Yarmouth Regatta acquired two shells, probably MKIs from Jon Peters. They fitted them out to their own design and row them at Island events. I think they call them Dabchicks.

In 2012 Ron Coote reappeared, having, apparently, become bored with retirement and produced some MKIVs as a non-VATable sideline. One was bought by Kevin and Mark Shepherd (Giggler) in Hamble. Now rowed very successfully by ‘Hamble Boys’.

The first shell bought by the Club from Trinity had stretcher holders fitted in rather strange positions which did not suit where the Club wanted to site thwarts. In 2017 HRRC modified the 2 MkIV boats by cutting off the flanges, adding wooden gunwales and external rowlock blocks and changing the stretcher rails.

In about 2016 Ian Ducane (a member of Tudor Sailing Club in Langstone Harbour) bought No 14, from RK Marine and started rowing at Tudor. After a wobbly start Tudor has grown a strong rowing contingent. Ian, a retired shipwright, decided he wanted some more boats and couldn’t find a maker, so he made a mould with some clever modifications. (Side buoyancy tanks, movable seats and rowlock blocks, etc.) He, also, lengthened the top of the boat by raking the transom back about 1 inch, to give a bit more space for a rowing stretch. This may be because he took the mould from a boat owned by Chris Partridge, of Langstone Cutters, which may have been a MKII boat, produced by Cygnus Marine Boats in Southwold. Graham Valentine, then an HRRC member, now a Tudor Rowing member, bought No 2 of Ian’s production and is hugely pleased with it. About 8 of these boats have now been made, called Freedom 15s. Graham now has the mould (MKV?) in Warsash. Ian and Graham have, in 2024 produced new boats for Seafarers Sailing Club and Hillhead Sailing Club.

This Freedom 15 has evolved with each one produced. The internal moulding which provides buoyancy in side tanks has slots which allow the thwarts and stretchers to be moved, easily. The rowlock blocks can be re-positioned, too. I think that the latest iteration (the last 3 made) have no wood on them. They, now, have GRP gunwales and have gone back to 4’ 8” beam with little stainless steel outriggers to be used when racing. Compared to the HRRC club boats they are ‘high tech’. Thus they are quite expensive in finished form.

I am told that Jon Peters, once of Cygnus, still has a mould (probably Mk1) in Falmouth. There is something about this on a website celebrating the original Cygnus Marine. There is also, one at Padstow Boatyard. Ian Ducane saw it in about 2016, when they were turning out a shell. This might be the Jon Peters mould as the Padstow guy knows, or is related, to Jon Peters. I think there used to be a photo of a CY15 on the Padstow Boatyard website, but no longer.

In Autumn 2023 I discovered that Sam Heard, who runs Gaffer and Luggers at Waterings Boatyard, Mylor Bridge,TR11 5NG – 07977 239 341 has got the Mk1 mould from Jon Peters. Sam told me that he had orders for 6 boats, probably for youth training programmes at Pilot Gig Clubs. He said the mould needed quite a lot of work and he was not planning to build the batch until April 2024.

Tudor Rowing tell me that they, now, have 9 Bursledon Gigs. Probably 2 Mk1s, 1 MkII and 6 Freedom 15s. 3 are Club owned and the rest are privately owned.

Who has Bursledon Gigs now:

Owner Mk Colour Boat Name Whereabouts/Notes

1 Glyn Foulkes I Green Beryl C With Glyn
2 Tom Richardson I White Elephant Elephant Boatyard
3 David Gorrod I Light blue Bursledon or Mylor
4 Andy Cunningham I White Ex- Dairy Farmhouse Restored and lent to HRRC – A row and sail version
5 Ex-Hamble Sea Scouts – Dyke family I White Exocet Mercury Marina
6 Hamble Sea Scouts I White Pointsource Mercury Marina
7 Hamble Sea Scouts I White Michael Schmidt Mercury Marina
8 Hamble Sea Scouts – Dyke family I Black Mercury Marina – an old MK1 bought on eBay
9 Park Gate Sea Scouts I White Peter Foulkes Park Gate – lent to HRRC – being updated
10 Tudor rowing I White Constance, may be renamed This was the Yachting Sports owned boat
11 Chris Hand I White Mistress Hamble
12 Simon Goodison/Chris Orton I Navy blue Saxay On loan to HRRC
13 Graham Moody I Red Rowsie Now gifted to HRRC
14 Ian Du Cane/ Tudor Rowing I White “Rosie” ex-RK Marine Tudor Sailing Club
15 Tudor Rowing? I Green Now called Olive Ex – Jamie Grant. Now at Tudor
16 Netley Sea Scouts IV White + Black stripe Sir Harry Crichton Netley
17 Netley Sea Scouts/ABP IV White + Black stripe
18 Hamble River Rowing Club IV White Gigi Bursledon
19 Hamble River Rowing Club IV White + Black stripe? Grace Bursledon
20 Yarmouth Regatta 1 ? They call them Dabchicks Yarmouth
21 Yarmouth Regatta 1 ? They call them Dabchicks Yarmouth
22 Hamble River Rowing Club II White Jolly Lobster Warsash – ex-Hamble HM
23 Richard Bloxsom II Turquoise Crazy Daisy Gosport – ex Nicky Holland – now at Tudor
24 Kevin Shepherd IV Blue/white Giggler Hamble
25 Ian Ducane V White Freedom Ian owns this one – Hull 1
26 Graham Valentine V White Kelpie Graham is now a Tudor member – Hull 2
27 Ian Newberry, No contact info IV Purple Mark Newberry Used by Hook Sea Scouts, I think. Ian is/was a Safety adviser to the GRR
28 Tudor Rowing
Member V White Is this Navigator? Hull 3, I think
29 Tudor Rowing Member V White ??? Hull 4, I think
30 Tudor rowing Member V White Lady Jane Hull 5
31 Tudor Rowing Member V White? ??? Hull 6
32 Seafarers Sailing Club V White Rowsea Hull 7
33 Hillhead Sailing Club V ? ? Hull 8

Rowing the Gigs

Initially, on the Hamble, they were rowed with 2.7 and 2.4m wooden Britannia oars in rowlocks. Using 5/8 inch cast metal rowlocks (horrible things). Saxay still has 5/8 in sockets in the gunwales, rather than 13mm (I think) sleeves for stainless steel pins. This explains the slapping noise when smaller diameter pins are used in Saxay. The Rowing Club then bought some old wooden Macon bladed sculling oars and sculling gates. Nobody knows where these 20 lovely wooden Macon oars disappeared to. One now hangs in the Jolly Sailor and one is used as a trophy.

In 2012 the Rowing Club bought a batch of second hand carbon fibre 10’ Macon sculling oars and had pins made to accept sculling gates. Some of these blades were cut down to enable two people to row on the midships thwart without bumping elbows. A bad idea, better to use the wrong gearing. Some of the events on the River do specify a maximum oar length of 10 feet. At Bursledon Regatta (now the Hamble Valley Regatta) there are separate trophies for Sweep oars (11’ to 13’) and for Sculling oars (10’). There is some, mild ill feeling between a member of the Elephant Crew and Tudor Rowing about the use of longer oars and slightly changed hull shapes. These two crews have been very closely matched over the last 8 years, and get on very well after a race.

Hamble Sea Scouts, and some other owners use longer, 13’ cleaver sweep oars which require bigger gates. All Club and Sea Scout boats now have rudders so that they are safer to row in confined waters and when close to other boats in races.

The Club now believes that the best 4 oar configuration with sculling blades is not to chop down the middle oars but to change the gearing so that the oars do not clash, it feels a bit odd to row but allows maximum power. In 2019 HRRC acquired some second hand sculling cleavers, which Members like very much.

Some people believe that the fastest way to row a Gig is with 6 sculling oars and 3 rowers.

Tudor row with 11’ Concept 2 oars, though if they only have 3 rowers their mid thwart rower usually sculls with 2 10’ oars. New carbon 11’ oars cost about £400 each, from Concept2 or Croker. HRRC have experimented with 4 new Croker oars but most rowers prefer the 10’ second hand sculling blades, which can cost as little as £50 each but are difficult to find. The 11’ oars, when used midships, with a shorter loom and longer outboard feel a bit heavy to use. OK in sprints but tiring on a long race. Though Tudor Rowing don’t seem to mind

Events for Bursledon Gigs

The Gigs grew out of the desire of rowing enthusiasts at Bursledon Regatta to keep traditional rowing as part of the Regatta. For many years 2 handed, 3 handed (Ran Dan), 4 handed and a 6 handed sprint races were an important part of the Saturday afternoon at the Regatta. As the fleet grew and the water in the River at Bursledon was narrowed by pontoons below the Jolly Sailor this racing became dangerous. The Regatta Saturday afternoon was then started with a longer distance (still only a sprint, about 15 to 20 minutes) Boatyard Sheave race, with Gigs starting in pairs at 30 second intervals, in 2011 12 Gigs entered. In 2014 there were 14 entries. In 2019 there were 17, in 2023 12.

Bursledon Regatta moved from the Elephant Boatyard to Warsash in 2022. In 2024 it moved again, to Hamble. In 2025 it will be on 30th August, in Hamble.

In 2006(?) Hamble Sea Scouts held their first Hamble River Raid in May, a race from Hamble Quay to the Jolly Sailor at Bursledon and back. This takes about an hour in a Bursledon Gig, though the fastest Gigs take 44 minutes. In 2012 25 boats took part, including 12 Bursledon Gigs. By 2015 this had grown to 40 boats of various types, including 16 Bursledon Gigs. In 2023 there were about 40 rowing boats. Including Bursledon Gigs, Solent Galleys, Cornish Pilot Gigs, Celtic and Welsh/Pembroke Longboats, Harkers Gigs, Shaldon Regatta Egrets and various wooden skiffs.

Since 2004 Bursledon Gigs have taken part in the Great River Race on the Thames. In 2011 10 Bursledon Gigs completed this 22 mile Race in early September. In 2019 there were only 11 Bursledon Gigs at GRR.

In June 2012 the Crazy Daisy crew took their Gig to Cork to compete in the gruelling Ocean to City race, finishing in just over 4 hours. They also went, once, to the Vogalonga in Venice. In 2013 Crazy Daisy and a Club Gig went to Cork. HRRC took 3 boats to Cork in 2016 or 7. Several crews have been to the annual Round Canvey Island race, too. Tudor took 4 boats to the Vogalonga in 2024.

In 2012 the Hamble River Games were instituted, it is, now dormant, I think. The Gig Race is about 1.5 hours, up and down the River, organised by the Elephant Boatyard crew.

In the last 2 years the number of races/events, in Hampshire and Sussex, for traditional rowing boats (no sliding seats) has blossomed. With the advent of the 3 Harbours Rowing Group made up of about 13 rowing groups. Round Hayling Island, Cockleshell Challenge (round the Forts), Head of the Harbour (Langstone), Random Regatta (try each others boats), Head of the Ouse (Newhaven), Bosham Regatta, etc..

Many Sailing Clubs have started rowing sections, with great success. Some investing in Celtic Longboats. Some have found that a single Longboat can be difficult if a crew member, cancels at the last minute, and the row can’t go ahead. As Bursledon Gigs can be rowed with 2, 3 or 4 rowers this gives greater flexibility. It has been suggested that a mix of boats, a Bursledon Gig and a longer boat such as a Celtic longboat can be a good mix. Another option for self build is a St Ayles Skiff, a stitch and glue double ender for 4 rowers which can be bought in kit form.

The first 2 Clubs which adopted the Bursledon Gig are HRRC and Tudor Rowing. Hamble River Rowing Club is, very much, a Social Rowing Club, with many Members who are retired. HRRC describes itself, sometimes, as a ‘Rock up and Row Club’. There are no permanent crews, though some do coalesce around major events.

Tudor Rowing seem to have permanent crews for the many races they attend. They are much more competitive than HRRC.

Most Gig rowing in the Hamble River takes place at HRRC’s Tuesday evening rows (BST only and reliant on HW)) from the Jolly Sailor at Bursledon, when up to 30 Members get on the water for social rowing. Hamble Sea Scouts row from their base at Mercury Marina on Friday evenings in BST. At the Club evenings each boat goes out for about half an hour at a time. Once a month the Club rows away to supper at another riverside hostelry. There is also Sunday morning rowing, all year round, which allows for longer distance rowing, with up to 5 Gigs going out for a couple of hours, often taking a break at the quayside café in Hamble. HRRC now has a Booking App and the boats are rowed several times a week, with Members booking a boat and finding a crew.

Hamble River Rowing Club now has 8 moorings at the Jolly Sailor in Bursledon, with 7 Bursledon Gigs and an Egret (a 12’ 6” 2 person grp boat). The moorings dry at Low water.

Typical Club events are rowing to the King and Queen in Hamble for Supper, rowing to the Horse and Jockey in Curbridge for lunch, rowing to Botley for a curry. Rows have also taken place to the Jolly Sailor at Ashlett Creek, from Rockley Point to Wareham, Lee-on-Solent to the IoW, Keyhaven and Hurst point and round Christchurch Harbour.

Most Members are not interested in competition but enjoy the fitness benefits of rowing and the social time with similarly active people. HRRC has the benefit of rowing on the River, with Pubs at both ends . Tudor Rowing are more competitive and the Rowing section is very strong. It has been said that the Tudor Rowing section has re-juvenated Tudor Sailing Club. It is not unusual for 6 boats to go out at once, they, also invite others to a series of end of month competitions called Friendly Fridays.

The Elephant Boatyard crew and Ian’Ducane’s Freedom Crew are very fast and are strong rivals. Finishing 4th and 5th in GRR 2018 and 9th and 10th in 2019. They have, also, been seconds apart in the Hamble River Raid and at Bursledon Regatta. Over the past 3 years Elephant, Freedom and Navigator (another Tudor boat) have, consistently, been the fastest.

Producing new boats

In June 2012 Ron Coote offered a completed MKIV boat at £2686 (VAT not payable). This had small fore and aft buoyancy tanks, 3 thwarts and stretchers, though it would be worth checking out where the thwarts and stretchers were fitted, if one came across one, as they may be different from the two Club boats.

In 2015 there was an ad on Apollo Duck for a sailing/rowing version of a CY15 by a guy called Derek Cooper of Colne Carpentry. I think he must have had access to the mould that went to Cygnus Marine Boats at Southwold.

Padstow Boatyard is a potential source of basic shells. I don’t know whether they finish boats, or whether their shells have buoyancy tanks, stretchers, etc.. There is a photo of what we would call a Bursledon Gig somewhere on their website. It is complete, with only 2 thwarts. The contact is Will Claxon, I think. In 2017 they quoted £900 for a basic shell, £200 for buoyancy tanks and £100 for a glassed in thwart rail and glassed in keel slot cover. I suspect that the price, with VAT would be more than double that, now, in 2023.

Ian Ducane produces complete, finished boats, with some changes made to his original mould. I think he has now made 7 or 8, all but 2 are at Tudor, owned by the Club or by Club Members. The latest 2 are at Seafarers Sailing Club and Hillhead Sailing Club. The latest version has, I think, no wooden gunwale, to reduce maintenance, and I think it is slimmer in the beam and can be fitted with small metal outriggers to enable 2 rowers to sit on the mid-thwarts, or these can be removed if there is only one rower on the mid-thwart.

I do not think that any of these moulds/boats have received EU RCD (Recreational Craft Directive) certification. It is believed that they are exempt from RCD regulation as they are used for training and racing.

Buoyancy

The original Cygnus 15 boats had large fore and aft buoyancy tanks. 2 of the HRRC boats have had the aft tank reduced to make it possible for a tall Stroke to row, comfortably.

In 2019, I think, Giggler was swamped during the Great River Race. They were, I believe fairly close to the centre of the River near Southwark Bridge and were passed by a large barge going down river. Giggler did not sink and the Crew bailed her dry and proceeded in the race, overtaking my crew, again!

In the 2024 GRR 2 Tudor boats were swamped about ½ mile below Tower Bridge, where there are notorious standing waves. Both boats were fairly close to the tall Middlesex wall and fast Uber Clippers were going by. So it may have been a combination of standing waves, and direct and reflected wash. It was, also, a very big Spring tide so the standing waves may have been exceptional.

At the October 3 Harbours meeting I think John Elson said that the water came over the sides, not the bow. For the GRR all HRRC boats have a wave deflector added at the bow, Tudor boats did not. The thinking, by HRRC, is that with, just, a Cox a Bursledon Gig will bounce over most waves. With the weight of a passenger right in the bow it is thought the Gig cuts through waves rather than bouncing, who knows? From the look of them the Freedom 16 boats which Ian and Graham have been building may have a lower freeboard than the Cygnus mould derived boats. Could this explain the swamping? Perhaps it would be good to measure a new Freedom 16 and an old Cygnus boat.

Jim Williams Partially updated in December 2024.